Candid Article 19

Jenny Schwarz

It is not very often that you find a female fashion designer who makes clothes solely for men; but then, Jenny Schwarz is not your average designer. Graduating from Central St Martins in 2007, Jenny’s grandfather Johann Schnieder was a successful menswear tailor in Munich in the 1920s, perhaps encouraging her love for time-honoured methods and keeping the craftsmanship in fashion design. It is an opinion that has proven popular, and her presence in the fashion world has gone from strength to strength. Her creations have since been featured in the likes of Wonderland, Papercut, H, Idol, and our very own Candid Magazine, as well as fashion bible Vogue in 2011.

Her inventions focus on traditional tailoring, taking inspiration from historical clothing and ‘injecting it into the present’ to create unique and innovative pieces that have been described as ‘classic and slightly warped.’ Strict attention to detail, a diverse array of fabrics and the ability to recognise what a man will feel comfortable in that still pushes boundaries, Schwarz clearly has the perfect combination of skills to compete with her peers in the tough fashion industry.

Her clothes caught the eye of post-punk band Planet Magnetic in 2010, who commissioned her to create the outfits for their album cover. The looks were so popular that a capsule collection was made of them, and since then various other musicians, design houses and private clients have flocked to Schwarz for her handiwork.

Perhaps one of the most interesting things about Jenny Schwarz is that rather than having a person as a muse upon which her ideas are based, she looks towards passages from history, literature and quotes, and develops stories around them which then motivate her designs. 

For her S/S ’13 collection, a quote from 1931 by Hubert Rex was used:

‘Here for a few days we have ceased to be slaves and have really been men. The flowers of Kings and Emperors, to us, the poor men’s diamond.’

These words were written in a letter found in a trunk that told the story of a man’s mission to retrieve the Edelweiss flower, a rare plant that grows in treacherous places, high upon steep cliffs. Only the most daring and gallant of men would be able to bring it home to give to their loved ones.

Using this as a base for her planning, Schwarz developed outfits with features that directly link to the romantic  anecdote. Taking the tale literally, cotton jackets were fastened over soft woollen jumpers signifying the delicate Edelweiss flower, and were contrasted with pleating and ridging to represent the harsh rocks and sharp edges that were overcome to reach the desired prize. The differences in textures of these two materials is a stark contrast, which really brings the designer’s vision to life. Greys and dark greens were used as a colour palette, giving a nod to the natural colours that would have been seen along the journey.

A similar notion was used for her A/W 12/13 collection where the Crystal Eastman quote ‘A great deal of tyranny goes under the name of protection’ was used to develop her designs. Jackets were heavily structured and made with treated cottons, opposed with pleated organza and sheepskin collars in ode to medieval battle suits, and trousers had panels to create an armour plating effect. Matt black, grey and hints of rust and copper were the colours of choice, giving a masculine feel with a hint of luxe.

Jenny Schwarz clothes are available from Seven Dials Presents in Covent Garden, London, or  go to www.jennyschwarz.com for a list of stockists.